Results 16,521-16,540 of 21,588 for speaker:Denis Naughten

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Second Stage (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this important Bill. On my way to the Convention Centre, I remembered that it is now three years since I originally put forward this particular concept. I want to thank the current and former management and board of the National Oil Reserves Agency. They put in a tremendous effort to deal with a deficit, outstanding debt and the fact they did not have...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 27. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to expedite the roll-out of the national broadband plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16043/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Air Quality (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 41. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the clean air strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16044/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 73. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he has received the research output from a body (details supplied) on the warmth and well-being scheme; when the results will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16259/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Cybersecurity Policy (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 74. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of staff employed in the national cybersecurity centre in 2018, 2019 and to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16263/20]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 119. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the draw down to date of the €3 million allocated in budget 2020 for new pilot agri-environmental schemes; the schemes supported to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16260/20]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 121. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the instances of non-compliance with carcase trim specifications his inspectors have identified in beef plants each month to date in 2020; when the names of plants involved will be published; the payments made to the farmer supplier to reflect loss; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16261/20]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Meat Processing Plants (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 122. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of instances in which mechanical grading was suspended in meat plants in cases in which a machine is found to be working outside of tolerance and manual grading was instigated in 2019 and to date in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16262/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: National Children's Hospital (15 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 164. To ask the Minister for Health the reason construction on the national children's hospital has been delayed since the return to work of the construction sector post Covid-19; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16258/20]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: 6. To ask the Minister for Finance if third-level student accommodation providers that have refused to refund accommodation costs to students forced to leave college due to the Covid-19 pandemic will not receive State Covid-19 supports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16287/20]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: No student accommodation provider should be able to avail of financial supports from the State if the provider is not prepared to refund students who have been forced to leave college early. This not only applies to private accommodation providers. The University of Limerick had to be shamed into refunding students. It is not good enough that students are not being refunded fees for half a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: I accept the Minister's response, but numerous reasons are being given by this sector for refusing to provide refunds. The fact is that student accommodation is shared by between three and up to seven students, which makes it impossible for them to socially distance. Tax reliefs are still being claimed by more than 200 providers throughout the country. In 2017, 246 providers claimed the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Student Accommodation (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: The reality is that some of these providers will avail of some of the Covid-19 supports that are being put in place, whether that is restart grants or rate reductions from local authorities. I put it to the Minister and his colleagues in government that a clear and unambiguous message has to be sent out from the entire Government that we will not tolerate a situation where private providers...

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: “ “air quality” means the reduction in air pollution as defined in the Air Pollution Act 1987; “carbon sequestration” means a natural or artificial process by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and held in solid or liquid form;”. I am speaking...

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: We are speaking to my amendment now.

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: I promise the Minister that I will continue to remind him about the report from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine because it is urgent that that evidence is published. It will dramatically change the focus of climate and energy investment in this country. I wish to correct a couple of interpretations the Minister has tried to give that are inaccurate. This money is in a...

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: It is not. It means we cannot draw down the money for another month but next month, we can draw down the €10 million that has gone in this month. It is disingenuous to say that this money is being lost. The money is being delayed, but not lost.

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: The Minister is misleading the House.

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: The fact is farmers are paying carbon tax. They do not have an alternative to diesel for their tractors. We have an opportunity here to support innovation in the growing of grass and in carbon sequestration on farms. The Minister refuses to accept this amendment but I am pressing it.

National Oil Reserves Agency (Amendment) and Provision of Central Treasury Services Bill 2020: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jul 2020)

Denis Naughten: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, to delete lines 15 to 21 and substitute the following: “(a) in subsection (1)— (i) by the substitution of the following paragraph for paragraph (a): “(a) maintaining, in accordance with Part 4, oil stocks, including measures to reduce the demand for oil within the State,” and (ii) by the substitution of the following...